FWC, Zoo Miami to host Exotic Pet Amnesty Day

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Zoo Miami are working together to host Exotic Pet Amnesty Day. The event will be at Zoo Miami on Saturday, March 1, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The event offers an opportunity for people to surrender their nonnative pets free of charge with no penalties.

This is one of several Exotic Pet Amnesty events held throughout the year. The goal is to reduce the number of nonnative species being released into the wild by pet owners who can’t take care of their animals or no longer wish to keep them.

“To date, we have helped find homes for more than 1,700 exotic animals throughout the state,” said Liz Barraco, coordinator for the FWC’s Exotic Pet Amnesty Program. “Every animal we place through our program is one less that could have ended up in one of Florida’s natural areas.”

At each Amnesty Day, every attempt is made to place all healthy animals with qualified adopters. Pet adopters must be pre-qualified to receive surrendered animals. Anyone interested in adopting exotic pets can download the application forms at MyFWC.com/Nonnatives. Adoption applications must be received by Thursday, February 27, to be processed in time for this event.